


Wrong

by Causa



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 11:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5783872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Causa/pseuds/Causa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What does fusion feel like?” the pearl said, her intent stare on Garnet’s eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrong

“No, _no_. Stop arching your back. Stand straight.”  
  
Her orders were sharp barks, floating up into Garnet’s ears shrill and loud. The pearl—Pearl—sighed and walked in front of her, snatching the handle of the blade from her fingers. Slowly, the smaller gem bent her knees and struck forward, feet firm on the grass.  
  
“See? Do it again.”  
  
Garnet never thought she would take orders from a _pearl_. Of course, she never expected to exist either—she felt surprised at her surprise. She jumped when Pearl placed the blade before her.  
  
“Listen. I’m glad you’re here but I won’t have you slowing Rose down.” The pearl’s blue eyes glistened when she spoke, a blush tinting her cheeks. Sapphire—Garnet—had never seen a pearl so colorful—or one so _forward_  
  
“I—I’m trying,” she said.  
  
“Try harder,” Pearl said, scoffing. “If _I_ can do it, surely—”  
  
“Pearl.”  
  
The leader of the rebellion had a voice that was low and soothing—Garnet was surprised how powerful it could sound.  
  
“Rose!” She had startled the pearl, who turned to her and bowed her head, grinning.  
  
“Pearl, you know I don’t like it when you talk that way.”  
  
Rose Quartz knelt, lowering herself to the pearl’s height, and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
“You’re _very impressive._ Where you came from doesn’t make that any less true.”  
  
The pearl shook her head. “ _You’re_ the impressive one! I only—”  
  
“Shh,” said Rose, placing a finger on the pearl’s lips. She put her mouth to the pearl’s ear and whispered something Garnet could not hear.  
  
“Let’s give Garnet some time to rest,” the leader said, turning and smiling to the blushing fusion. “She’s only been here a few days, after all.”  
  
She stood up. “I’m going to look for some firewood.” When Pearl jolted after her, she said, “Stay here with Garnet.”  
  
Garnet watched Pearl watch her leave—she had never seen such intensity in a gaze.  
  
“So…”  
  
“What does fusion feel like?” the pearl said, her intent stare on Garnet’s eyes.  
  
“You two haven’t done it before?”  
  
“No!” Pearl shouted, face flushing.  
  
“It’s—” Garnet paused. “It’s an experience.”  
  
The pearl narrowed her eyes.  
  
“I’m sorry, I’m no good with words,” said Garnet. “It’s like—I can’t tell where Ruby ends and I begin. I mean—where I start and…” Garnet giggled.  
  
Pearl cocked her head. “You stop being yourself?”  
  
“Not exactly,” Garnet said. “It’s you, but—her too. Together, all the time. You’re something different.”  
  
“Together all the time,” repeated the pearl. “Is it—every part of you?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
The pearl pursed her lips, humming. “Rubies are usually upset easily, but you don’t seem to be.”  
  
“Not all rubies.”  
  
Pearl shrugged. “Does it hurt? When you do it?”  
  
“It feels weird at first. But it doesn’t hurt.”  
  
“How do you do it?”  
  
Garnet pursed her lips. “You just—you kind of…you get on the same wavelength. Usually we dance, and it happens.”  
  
The pearl looked down. “I see.”  
  
They sat in silence. Later that evening, while walking through the encampment, Garnet stumbled upon the leader and her pearl.  
  
“—could give us a real tactical advantage, and if the two of them made something larger than me, I can only assume that _we_ —”  
  
Rose Quartz laughed, the sound deep and rich. “You want to fuse, my pearl?”  
  
“I—uh—certainly not! I was only thinking aloud.”  
  
“That’s a shame. I wanted to try it.”  
  
“ _Oh,_ well, if you think it’s worth trying…”  
  
Rose put her hands on her hips and lifted the hem of her dress. “The two of them fused by running into each other.”  
  
“Or,” said Pearl, “I could—”  
  
She began spinning toward Rose, gliding silently and fluidly into her arms; the larger gem lowered the smaller one until their bodies were pressed together; the pearl’s eyes were wide.  
  
“My stars,” she murmured.  
  
Rose drew herself back. “Am I doing it wrong?”  
  
The pearl shook her head so fiercely her entire body moved. “No! No.” Her hand twitched at her side. Garnet felt, nameless and traceless, revulsion building up in her as Rose took the small, pale gem’s palm in hers and laced their fingers. The pearl stared at her, immobile, until Rose gently tugged her forward and her face lit up as she rested her face into the larger woman’s chest, hand at her back.  
  
The pearl no longer clung to her leader as her shape crashed itself into Rose’s light. Garnet wanted to look away but the resulting sway of the woman’s hips, her cascading tresses, and the smile that came from her full, pink lips was captivating. But Garnet shuddered when she saw the two pairs of mismatched eyes mashed atop one another—she didn’t look like that, did she—so crude and alien? When the four eyes met her three, Rose and the pearl—Pearl—unfused, their bodies curled on the ground. The pearl was blushing.  
  
“How long have you been there?” she cried.  
  
“I’m sorry—not long.”  
  
Rose smiled. “How did we look?”  
  
“You looked—” Garnet lowered her eyes, trying not to raise her trembling voice. “You looked _wrong_. This is wrong. I shouldn’t be here.”  
  
“Well that’s too bad, because you can’t go back,” said the pearl, standing, arms crossed.  
  
“Pearl.” Rose placed a hand on the smaller gem’s shoulder; her face was still flushed. Rose walked to Garnet and took her hands.  
  
“Nothing you do is wrong here. Nothing anyone does is wrong here. That’s why we have to protect this place.”  
  
The leader's face glowed; Garnet could say nothing for some time.  
  
“I understand,” she said shakily.


End file.
